Raphael Stevens

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is a new investor in the restaurant industry, taking a 20 percent stake in Walk-On’s, a sports-themed bar and eatery, the parties told CNBC.Prescott will take co-ownership of Walk-On’s in its Dallas-Fort Worth and Waco-area locations and joins former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who is co-owner of the parent company, Walk-On’s Enterprises. The financial terms of Prescott’s investment were not made available.In a Zoom interview with CNBC on Monday, Prescott called the equity deal a “genuine connection,” since Walk-On’s is based in his home state, Louisiana.”I grew up going to some Walk-On’s,” he said. “We had a Walk-On right there in Bossier City. On the bathroom, when you walk in, my high school picture is probably still there.”The Baton Rouge company offers Louisiana Creole-style cuisine dishes including crawfish and gumbos. Walk-On’s CEO Brandon Landry, a former player at LSU, said Prescott’s addition “just made sense” as the chain seeks to add more restaurants in the area.Walk On’s Bistreaux & Bar.Source: Google EarthWalk-On’s also operates in Florida and is looking to expand to Colorado and Ohio. Walk-On’s has 51 restaurants operating and wants to expand to roughly 70 locations by the end of 2021.”We’re going to stay on that growth pattern for the next five to seven years,” Landry told CNBC. He added the company is coming off a year where sales declined 4%, but Walk-On’s is expecting growth with the U.S. continuing to reopen from Covid shutdowns.”People are getting back out, and they have money to spend because they’ve been sitting in their houses for a year,” Landry said. “It told us that casual dining is not going anywhere.”Prescott’s had his ‘best day’Prescott, 27, signed a four-year, $160 million deal ($126 million is guaranteed) with the Cowboys in March. He’ll make $75 million in 2021, including a $9 million base salary and $66 million signing bonus, the largest in NFL history.He missed most of the 2020 season after suffering a right ankle injury in Week 5 against the New York Giants. Asked about his offseason status, Prescott told CNBC he had his best rehab session on Monday.”Today was the best day I’ve had,” Prescott said. “I can go play in a game right now and be very successful. By training camp, I’ll be in dominating fashion, better than I was before I came off the field.”Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Dak Prescott (4) [20763] during the NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Chicago Bears at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX.Andrew Dieb | Icon Sportswire | Getty ImagesThe season-ending injury further put off-the-field business in perspective, though. Prescott wants to learn the dynamics of every investment he makes, including the stock market, which he has yet to dabble in seriously.”I’ve got a great financial team teaching me about it, and we’re getting into that,” Prescott said. “I’ve got to be educated and know about it before I say, ‘Here’s $1 million … go make money.’ I want to be educated and know how I’m getting it back — the whole process.”Prescott plans to be diverse in his investments.”I wouldn’t say that there is one avenue that I want to just dive into more than the others,” Prescott said. “I’m a very open guy, so I’m open to learning about new things, new investments. Whatever it is, it has to be genuine and something I care about; something I would buy and not just some cash cow.”In 2019, ESPN reported Prescott made over $50 million via endorsement deals from companies including sports apparel-maker Adidas, Beats by Dre (owned by Apple), and Pepsi.Asked what advice he would give newcomers from last weekend’s NFL Draft about off-the-field business, Prescott pointed to preparation.”It’s about starting those business investments and business opportunities now, so when the game goes away, you’re not trying to learn it,” he said. “You already had a head start — you can go from one career to the next without hesitation.”  More

Olivier Tchimou, a student pharmacist administers the vaccine to a student in Riggleman Hall. The Kanawha-Charleston Health Department led a vaccination effort on the campus of the University of Charleston. 1,800 doses of the Johnson & Johnson Janssen Covid-19 vaccine were on hand to be given out to all persons aged 16 years and older.Stephen Zenner | LightRocket | Getty ImagesConnecticut is the first state in the United States in which half of all adults are fully vaccinated, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data published Monday showed as the nationwide pace of daily shots continued to decline from peak levels.At the same time, the U.S. outbreak is showing signs of slowing, with reported cases, hospitalizations, and deaths all trending downward. Over the weekend, the rate of daily infections fell below 50,000 per day for the first time since October.U.S. share of the population vaccinatedAmong Americans aged 18 and older, 56% have received at least one vaccine dose and 41% are fully vaccinated.Connecticut on Monday reported that half of its adult residents have a completed vaccination program, according to the CDC, the first state in the country to do so.Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwards”That’s an extraordinary achievement that allows the reopening to continue in a prudent way,” Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said of the milestone at a news conference Monday.Vaccination rates vary by state. New Mexico, South Dakota, Maine, and Vermont each have 48% or more of adults fully vaccinated, while that figure is below 33% in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama.U.S. vaccine shots administeredThe nationwide pace of daily shots fell further from peak levels on Monday, down to an average of 2.3 million reported vaccinations per day from a high point of 3.4 million on April 13.Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsThe slowdown comes as meeting demand for vaccines is no longer the main challenge the country faces. States are employing strategies to address access and hesitancy barriers, including community outreach and education programs.Some states are also offering incentives for getting vaccinated, including free beer in New Jersey and $100 savings bonds in West Virginia.U.S. Covid casesThe U.S. is reporting 49,500 new infections per day, based on a seven-day average of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The country was averaging more than 70,000 daily cases in mid-April.Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsAverage daily case counts have fallen by 5% or more in the majority of states over the past week.U.S. Covid deathsAs of Monday, the seven-day average of daily U.S. Covid deaths is 670.Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsMore than 577,500 deaths have been reported since the beginning of the pandemic. More

In this article22UA-DEPFEPfizer said Tuesday it plans to file for full U.S. approval of its Covid-19 vaccine with German drugmaker BioNTech at the end of this month. If the FDA signs off, the company will be able to market the shot directly to consumers.In its earnings report, Pfizer said first-quarter sales of its Covid-19 vaccine was $3.5 billion. It reported earnings and revenue that beat Wall Street’s expectations.Here’s how Pfizer did compared with what Wall Street expected, according to average estimates compiled by Refinitiv:Adjusted EPS: 93 cents per share vs. 77 cents expectedRevenue: $14.58 billion vs. $13.51 billion expectedThe company now expects full-year sales of $26 billion from the vaccine, up from its previous forecast of about $15 billion.Shares of Pfizer rose 1.3% in premarket trading.CNBC Health & Science Read CNBC’s latest coverage of the Covid pandemic:Pfizer plans to file for full FDA approval of Covid vaccine at the end of this monthSingapore says it detected the Covid variant from India in its community, tightens restrictions India reports more than 357,000 new Covid cases as total crosses 20 million WHO is closely monitoring 10 Covid variants as virus mutates around the world Revenue from Pfizer’s oncology, internal medicine, hospital and rare disease units rose by double digits during the quarter, according to the earnings report. The company’s inflammation and immunology unit generated about $1 billion in sales, a 9% increase from a year earlier.Pfizer reported double-digit growth in sales for many of its cancer drugs, including Inlyta, Bosulif and Lorbrena.The company received U.S. authorization of its Covid vaccine in late December. Since then, Pfizer has distributed millions of doses to the U.S., with the goal of delivering 300 million doses by the end of July.Usually, it takes the Food and Drug Administration nearly a year or longer to determine whether a drug is safe and effective for use in the general public. Due to the once-in-a-century pandemic, which has killed nearly 600,000 people in the United States, the FDA permitted the use of the shots under an Emergency Use Authorization.The authorization grants conditional approval based on two months of data. It’s not the same as a Biologic License Application, which requires six months of data and secures full approval.The company also said it expects to apply for an EUA for a booster shot that could protect against Covid variants during the second half of July, according to a slide presentation that accompanied the company’s earnings release. It expects to apply for authorization for its vaccine for use in toddlers and younger children in September and infants in November.On April 1, Pfizer and BioNTech announced that new data from their clinical trial showed their two-dose vaccine was safe and more than 91% effective six months after the second dose. At the time, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said the new data positions the companies “to submit a Biologics License Application to the U.S. FDA.”If the vaccine is fully approved, it sets the stage for Pfizer and BioNTech to begin advertising the shots directly to consumers and change its pricing. It also allows the shot to stay on the market once the pandemic is over and the U.S. is no longer considered in an “emergency.” More

Mazda is a small independent manufacturer that sells a fraction of the cars churned out by the world’s largest automakers. And being a small automaker in 2021 is not easy.But the company has managed to carve out a reputation for building cars that are fun to drive and offer good value for the money, according to industry experts. It’s MX-5 Miata roadster has attained a kind of iconic status, and it’s one of the best-selling two-seat roadsters of all time.Mazda has also made other cars beloved by enthusiasts, such as the RX-7.Mazda has also been something of an innovator in engines. For 50 years, it stocked its vehicles with rotary engines — a highly unusual engine design. In recent years, it has made strides toward improving the efficiency of gasoline engines with its Skyactiv technology.But electric vehicles are gaining market share, and Mazda doesn’t have the deep pockets automakers like Volkswagen, Toyota, and General Motors have.To be sure, Toyota has a 5% stake in Mazda, and the two are partnering on building vehicles and EV technology. These kinds of partnerships are deemed increasingly important now that all automakers are expected by investors, governments, and customers. They may also give a small manufacturer like Mazda a chance to survive. More

Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines are seen at Northwell Health’s South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore, New York, March 3, 2021.Shannon Stapleton | ReutersFewer Americans say they prefer the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine after the U.S. temporarily paused its use in April, but 17% of Americans in a new survey still say it’s their top choice.That’s down from 29% in March, before the pause, according to consecutive surveys of more than 1,500 Americans done for CNBC by global data and survey firm Dynata.The pause, from April 13 to 23, was recommended while U.S. regulators investigated rare but severe cases of blood clots tied to the vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended reinstating the vaccine’s use after a CDC advisory group concluded the benefits of the shot outweigh its risk, while warning the clot risk is higher for women under age 50.”It’s only one shot, and it’s a brand name which is well-known,” Mark Levine, a New York City councilmember who chairs the city’s Council Committee on Health, said in an interview after the CDC advisory vote April 23. “I’ve certainly talked to people who have told me that they were waiting to get a vaccine until J&J came back onto the market.”The Dynata survey, taken April 24-27, showed that more people said they preferred the Pfizer vaccine after the J&J pause; Pfizer as a top choice went from 20% in March to 35% in April. Moderna’s vaccine went from 10% as top choice in March to 17% in April, and those who said they’d prefer either of those vaccines, which are both two doses and use the same messenger RNA technology, was relatively unchanged at 12 to 13%.Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsUnsurprisingly, given the blood clot risk is higher for women, their preference for the J&J vaccine declined most, to 14% in April from 28% in March, compared with a decline to 21% from 29% for men.The J&J pause happened just as daily vaccinations peaked in the U.S, at more than 3 million shots administered on average per day. Monday, the U.S. recorded 1.2 million shots administered, the lowest number since February, according to Evercore ISI data.Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsLocal officials, though, told CNBC it was difficult to distinguish how much the pause affected vaccination rates, as appointments were already starting to go unfilled around the same time.”In some ways, we’ve gone through the people that were just so eager to get it and they wanted it, you know, yesterday,” Harris County, Texas Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a telephone interview April 19.The number of Americans who say they don’t plan to get a vaccine or are undecided went down slightly from March to April, the Dynata surveys found. Those who don’t plan to get vaccinated declined from 13% to 12%, while those on the fence went from 6.8% to 5.6%.Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsAsked what would make them more likely to get a vaccine, 37% said more science backing up the vaccines’ safety and efficacy, while 31% said more time to feel better about long-term effects. Just 8.1% said they’d be persuaded if an employer required vaccination.Many colleges and universities have said they’ll require students get vaccinated to come to campus in the fall, and Dynata’s survey found just more than half of respondents age 18 to 24 agreed vaccine mandates at schools are a good idea. Just more than a quarter opposed them.–CNBC’s Harriet Taylor and Whitney Ksiazek contributed to this article. More

Delhi Daredevils bowler Trent Boult bowls during an IPL cricket match against the Rajasthan Royals.Vishal Bhatnagar | NurPhoto | Getty ImageThe 2021 Indian Premier League has been suspended amid concerns over coronavirus levels in the country.The number of new coronavirus infections in India passed 20 million on Tuesday with 357, 229 new cases reported in the latest 24-hour period, placing further strain on an already overwhelmed health system.Three Australian cricketers — Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson and Andrew Tye — have already cut short their IPL season to head home, while India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has taken a break to spend time with his family.The regular season was set to end on May 23 with qualifiers and eliminators to follow before the final on May 30.”The Indian Premier League Governing Council (IPL GC) and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in an emergency meeting has unanimously decided to postpone IPL 2021 season, with immediate effect,” an IPL statement said.”The BCCI does not want to compromise on the safety of the players, support staff and the other participants involved in organising the IPL. This decision was taken keeping the safety, health and wellbeing of all the stakeholders in mind.Read more stories from Sky SportsWill protests force Glazers out of Man Utd?Brundle’s verdict on Hamilton’s win & Red Bull’s claimHenry: Ek has ‘reached out’ to Kroenkes over Arsenal bid”These are difficult times, especially in India and while we have tried to bring in some positivity and cheer, however, it is imperative that the tournament is now suspended and everyone goes back to their families and loved ones in these trying times.”Three Australian cricketers – Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson and Andrew Tye – have already cut short their IPL season to head home, while India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has taken a break to spend time with his family.Several England players – including limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali – have been playing in the tournament, with the ECB having said earlier on Tuesday that it was leaving decisions over continued participation down to each individual.The likes of Buttler, Bairstow and Ali, who are members of England’s Test squad, had been facing the possibility of missing England’s five-day series against New Zealand at the start of June, but the IPL’s postponement could see them become available.The statement continued: “The BCCI will do everything in its powers to arrange for the secure and safe passage of all the participants in IPL 2021.”The BCCI would like to thank all the healthcare workers, state associations, players, support staff, franchises, sponsors, partners and all the service providers who have tried their best to organise IPL 2021 even in these extremely difficult times.”In this picture taken on October 10, 2020, a taxi drives past a hoarding of Mumbai Indians cricketers of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament in Mumbai.INDRANIL MUKHERJEE | AFP | Getty Images More